Eruption of Gang Violence Belies Bukele’s Security Wins in El Salvador
El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele has lashed out after several days of bloodshed amid a coronavirus lockdown, blaming the spike in killings on gangs. But in doing so, he has…
Human Smugglers Could Benefit From Costa Rica-Nicaragua Silence
Costa Rica has enhanced border security during the coronavirus pandemic to crack down on human smuggling from Nicaragua, but its measures are undermined by a lack of communication between the…
Mexico Cartels Hand Out Food Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
Recent cases of criminal groups distributing supplies in Mexico suggest that the coronavirus pandemic has presented an opportunity to cultivate popular support and consolidate territorial control in areas where people…
Why is US Sending Navy Warships to Thwart Drug Smugglers?
Though described as a strategy to keep traffickers from exploiting the coronavirus pandemic, the US Navy’s recent deployment of warships to the Caribbean was a long time in the making…
All Bark, No Bite: How US Bungled Case of ‘Major’ Money Launderer
US authorities alleged Nidal Waked and other members of his powerful and well-connected family in Panama were among “the world’s most significant drug money launderers and criminal facilitators,” with clients…
Coronavirus Clemency: Detainees Seek Freedom Across Latin America
As the coronavirus crisis exposes the strains on Latin America’s notoriously overcrowded prison system, members of the region’s criminal elite are seeking temporary conditional releases and transfers to house arrest.
Ex-FARC Mafia Fronts Left Reeling by Colombian Army in Antioquia
A targeted campaign by Colombian armed forces has left the 18th and 36th Fronts of the ex-FARC Mafia struggling to regroup in the northern department of Antioquia, a strategic drug…
Theft of Critical Medical Equipment Surges in Latin America
Thefts of tests, ventilators and personal protective equipment have shot up across Latin America amid the coronavirus pandemic, threatening lives and taxing governments that already face shortages of critical medical…
Ucayali, Peru’s Drug Trafficking Gateway to Bolivia and Brazil
The coronavirus pandemic has halted trafficking in Peru and sent cocaine prices plummeting, but drug seizures continue in the border department of Ucayali, a jungle region that has become a major smuggling corridor…
Coronavirus Driving Black Market for Medical Equipment in Cuba
The theft of thousands of surgical masks in Cuba reveals how the island’s active black market has adapted quickly to the coronavirus pandemic.
Torture is Widespread, Systematic Security Tactic in Mexico: Report
Of the tens of thousands of investigations into the use of torture in Mexico since 2006, less than one percent have ended in convictions -- stark evidence of the country's…
Arrest of Top Trafficker Unlikely to Slow Growth of Brazil’s PCC
A high-profile drug trafficker connected to Brazil’s PCC has been captured in Mozambique. The surprise ending to a 21-year manhunt raises interesting questions about whether the current leadership of the…
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InSight Crime is looking for a full-time strategic communications manager. This person needs to be able to work in a fast-paced world of daily news, high-profile investigations, national and international…
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InSight Crime Events – Border Crime: The Northern Triangle and Tri-Border Area
Through several rounds of extensive field investigations, our researchers have analyzed and mapped out the main illicit economies and criminal groups present in 39 border departments spread across the six countries of study – the Northern Triangle trio of Guatemala, Honduras, and El…
InSight Crime’s ‘Memo Fantasma’ Investigation Wins Simón Bolívar National Journalism Prize
The staff at InSight Crime was awarded the prestigious Simón Bolívar national journalism prize in Colombia for its two-year investigation into the drug trafficker known as “Memo Fantasma,” which was…
InSight Crime – From Uncovering Organized Crime to Finding What Works
This project began 10 years ago as an effort to address a problem: the lack of daily coverage, investigative stories and analysis of organized crime in the Americas. …
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